TRA goes high-tech to track transit cargo

The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has introduced a sophisticated electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS) to curb dumping of transit goods into the local market.

The technology, which is set to start in June, this year, will be monitoring goods at entry and exit points in the country.

TRA official in-charge of the transit unit, Alexander Buchafwe, said this here during an exhibition organised by Investment Climate Facility (IFC), which is also part of the African Development Bank’s series of meetings.

The system started in March this year but TRA gave the business community three months to get prepared for the operation of the cost-effective technology.

He said ECTS was a system that tracked movements of vehicles and goods from one point to another and before the new system the process used by TRA to monitor goods, which were subject to customs control, was being done manually.

“The process involves getting reports at every transit checkpoint,” Buchafwe said, adding that there would be no more checkpoints from Dar es Salaam Port to destined border posts.

According to the official, the new ICT system will speed up movements of goods on the designed routes by eliminating idle time during clearance of goods at the border point and in turn it will complement the government efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers (NTBs).

Citing some of the benefits of ECTS, the official said through the technology it would be easy to identify illegal diversion of goods, protect government revenue and real-time consignment tracking as opposed to manual tracking.

“This technology also increases transparency, uninterrupted movements of goods, quick security bond cancellation and increases truck turnaround time,” he said.

The ECTS will also reduce the cost of compliance to TRA trade facilitation and increase safety of transit goods.

"ECTS will be able to speed up clearance of trucks at border points and hence reduce congestion at the border's customs yards, which is one of the massive problems that have been hindering trade in the East African region," he explained.

Dumping remains a critical problem that subjects the country to losses amounting to billions of shillings.

Tanzania is estimated to have been losing 25bn/- a month due to fuel adulteration, dumping and compensation of lost transit goods specifically those going to landlocked countries.

The ECTS system has been built to collect data and provide real time tracking information of trucks and transit goods.

The ECTS consists of two devices namely M-Track and E-Seal whereby the M-Track is a wireless device, which tracks and retrieves stolen goods, while the E-Seal is designed to secure any shipment container and will continuously communicate its status using radio frequency identification (RFI) wireless technology to the tracking unit, which is placed in the truck's driver cabin. Non-tariff barriers are restrictions that result from prohibitions, conditions or specific market requirements that make importation or exportation of products difficult and/or costly but due to ECTS most of these drawbacks will be reduced to a considerable extent.

All goods that are subjected to customs control under section 6 of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 need to be tracked by ECTS.

Nokia trains developers of IT applications developers

Dar es Salaam. Mobile phone handset maker, Nokia, has launched a training programme to equip developers with necessary skills for creating software applications  to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in information and communication technologies.
It is also part of efforts of the world’s second mobile phone manufacturer to promote ICTs for socio-economic development in the country. About 30 trainees most of whom are graduates of computer science and other related courses are developing ideas on real problems facing the country and then go ahead to develop mobile softwares at the end of the six week training. The applications will be linked to Nokia.
The training has been co-organised by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and Dar Teknohama Business Incubator.
“There is a rapid increase of mobile phone use for various purposes in the country. Our aim is to equip developers with technical knowledge regarding advanced Java development,” said Mr Jussi Hinkkanem, Nokia’s vice president for Corporate Relations and Business Environment for Middle East and Africa.
There is a gap between the formal academic knowledge provided by most universities and the real problems the society faces.
Software development is expected to create jobs for trainees, increase revenue and solve real problems in the society.
One trainee for example demonstrated a design of an application for the Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids) that shows AIDS meaning, symptoms, treatment, when and how one can test the infection.

Chadema refutes claims to overthrow CCM govt

Dar es Salaam. Opposition Chadema party yesterday refuted claims that it was being funded by some European countries to overthrow the ruling party.
The Chadema Secretary General Dr Willibrod Slaa told reporters that the allegations leveled against his party were untrue and that his party was only befriending such countries to strengthen its mission in the country.
Dr Slaa also maintained that Chadema’s friendship with other organisations was not intended to sabotage the existing government and or overthrow it.
“These are our partners just like Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is a friend to Friedrich Egbert Stiftung foundation, there have been some misconceptions going on that we get funding from Germans to overthrow the government,” he said.
Dr Slaa was speaking ahead of a three day in-house Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training offered by a delegation of Germans.
He noted that CCM would only be removed from power by Chadema and not what he referred to as friends of his party from Europe.

“They are not giving us money, but are here to impart us with knowledge on ICT,” he stressed.
The European Union (EU) is investigating claims by an official of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) that five of its member countries are financing Chadema to instigate chaos in the country.
In the recent past, the head of European Union delegation in Tanzania, Mr Tim Clarke, denied that EU was funding Chadema’s operations.
Mr Clarke was reacting to CCM women’s wing chairperson, Ms Sophia Simba that the EU was responsible for supporting the opposition party financially.
Following the allegations, Chadema through its national chairman Freeman Mbowe vowed to take legal action against Ms Simba.
The party maintained that its operations were financed with contributions from the party’s leaders and members besides the official subsidy it gets from the government.

Dar to take part in ICT Indaba development meet 2012

Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority 

Director general Prof John Nkoma

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority director general Prof John Nkoma is among regulators from 51 African countries invited for ICT Indaba in South Africa to strategies on ICT promotion for the development of the continent.

 International models on how to boost development of the ICT sector in Africa will come under the spotlight during the inaugural four-day event to be held from 4 to 7 June at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
The ICT Indaba 2012 has identified six critical sectors in driving the ICT as a tool for African development: education, health, infrastructure, agri-business, trade and extractive industries.  The event is aimed at formulating an African Agenda to promote ICT as a primary tool to spur on social and economic development throughout the continent.
 It is organised by the South Africa’s department of Communications and endorsed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the United Nations’ leading information and technology agency with 193 member states and 700 associates.
Among other topics, the meet will look at “Digital Africa: A Vision for the Future and Preparing Skills and Create Jobs that will enable the Emergence of the Knowledge Economy.”  One of the keynote speakers will be Mr Houlin Zhao, the ITU’s deputy secretary general, who will present a paper “The Powerful Dynamic Role of ICTs in Socio-economic Development.”

E-learning set to support global renaissance, sustainable future

E-learning Africa (eLA) 2012 will take place on May 23-25 in Cotonou, Benin, and will feature 12 pre-conference workshops, about 60 sessions and over 300 speakers from Africa and beyond. eLA is the largest gathering of e-learning and information communication technology (ICT) supported education and training professionals in Africa, enabling participants to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and partnerships and enhance their knowledge, expertise and abilities.

Registration and other details can be enquired from Tanzania Global Learning Agency (TaGLA) at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) in Dar es Salaam. Speaking about the agency’s role in the forthcoming continental conference recently, TaGLA Interim Executive Director Charles Senkondo said TaGLA would play a key role in the eLA board, sponsoring the conference through the Association of African Learning Centre (AADLC) including script review, linking videoconference sessions and exhibitions.

The conference is a must for anyone involved in ICT for development, education and training in Africa and also for those, who want to find out more about this ever-evolving field.

Focusing on e-learning and sustainability, this year’s conference will explore creative ways in which e-learning can support development and help build a sustainable future. The eLA 2012 call for papers saw an overwhelming response with over 380 proposals received from 70 countries.

Last year, a total of 1, 702 education and training practitioners, experts, researchers, newcomers and providers from 90 countries gathered during the three-day conference at the Mlimani City Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which saw 83 per cent of the participants from African countries.

The eLA 2011 conference featured the work of 322 speakers and chairpersons from 57 countries, addressing all forms of technology-enhanced learning and including a rich mix of themes, topics and a variety of session formats.

Participants from Europe comprised 11 per cent, the US 4 per cent and Asia 2 per cent. Sectoral representation was as follows: academic (education) 41 per cent, the public sector (government/international organisations) 29 per cent, corporate (business) 21 per cent and civil society (associations/NGOs) 9 percent.

Previous event locations and the number of participants show the following pattern: the eLA 2010 hosted by Zambia attracted 1, 778 participants, 2009 Senegal: 1,350 participants, 2008 Ghana: 1,502 participants, 2007 Kenya: 1,406 participants and 2006 Ethiopia: 832 participants. For the past six years, Zambia has so far hosted the largest number of participants followed by Tanzania last year.

“TaGLA will provide an opportunity to connect Tanzanians through videoconferences to selected sessions, inspire Tanzanians to access available conference materials online and engage them through the social media like Facebook, Twitter and TaGLA’s website during and after the conference.  It will also showcase during the AADLC and a special presentation during the eLA conference,” explained Senkondo.

This year’s keynote and debate speakers include Max Ahouêkê, Minister for Communication and Information and Communication Technologies, Benin, Dorcas Muthoni, Chief Executive Officer/Founder of OpenWorld Ltd, Kenya, and Theophilus Mlaki, Consultant, ICT for Development (ICT4D), Tanzania.

Tanzania no dump for junk goods, says PS

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is not a dumping place for low quality electrical and telecommunication goods, the government said yesterday.The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Dr Florens Turuka, said yesterday that importers of such goods must adhere to quality and safety standards to protect users and the environment.

He made the remarks during a workshop for senior officials of government institutions ahead of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day being marked today and whose theme is “Women and Girls in ICT”.
“Traders should not think only about profit at the expense of everything else. They also need to think about people who buy goods from them. They should sell products that suit their customers’ requirements, especially at this time when we are moving towards adopting digital technology.”Dr Turuka said the government was working to improve telecommunications in rural areas with a view to speeding up development.He added that greater participation of women and girls in ICT would benefit the general public through the creation of more jobs greater role for women and girls in economic activities.

The director for training services at the University of Dar es Salaam Computing Centre, Dr Edephonce Nfuka, said IVT needed to be integrated with other skills for it to have impact in the society.“Tanzanians, including scholars, should be fully involved in creating systems to suit the changing society.  However, this requires an integration of other skills in areas such as technology and business,” he said.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Director General, Prof John Nkoma, said the telecommunications sub-sector was growing at a satisfactory rate despite various challenges.He urged the public to desist from abusing the ease of communicating brought about by modern technology.

Costech plans to set up ICT village

Costech Director General, Hassan Mshinda

The Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (Costech) plans to establish an information and communication technology (ICT) village to ensure it contributes greatly to the country’s economy.

Speaking during a briefing to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Infrastructure in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Costech Director General Hassan Mshinda said they would use available opportunities in the country such as the national optic fibre and submarine cable, which connected different parts in and outside the country.

Mshinda noted that to date the demand for a data centre was high compared to the supply thus the optic fibre and submarine cable was a significant step in ICT development. He said Costech had already carried out a feasibility study and plans to secure a plot for an ICT village probably in Kigamboni area, Dar es Salaam, were underway.

“Through the project, internet services will be improved and there will be data centres to keep computer systems and statistics. The ICT village will also have business and banking services, among other things,” Dr Mshinda said.

He said high connectivity would attract foreign companies to come and invest in the country.

Dr Mshinda noted that apart from contributing to the national economy, the ICT village would also provide employment opportunities, broaden skills and knowledge of local experts and enhance cooperation between international and local companies.

He, however, said Costech had been implementing directives from the parliamentary committee that research funds must be disbursed in compliance with the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Protocol and in the last financial year the government set aside 30bn/- but Costech had so far received 19bn/- only.

Country Focus: Tanzania’s state of ICT

Tanzania, officially called the United Republic of Tanzania, is one of the fastest growing African nations in terms of ICT development and mobile deployment. With a population of over 42-million, there is an incredible scope for growth in all sectors.

President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania (image: flickr USDA)

But while the country is on a steady growth path to better Internet connections and ICT, development is still required and improvements made.
IT News Africa compiled a list depicting the general state of ICT in Tanzania, and take a look at the various aspects from the sector.
* While Africa’s Internet penetration is only 13.5%, which is way below the world average of 32.7%, Tanzania does rank as one of Africa’s top countries when it comes to the number of users on the net. The country ranks 6th on World Internet Stats’ chart with 5.9-million users, just below South Africa with 6.8-million users.

ICT-BPO Stakeholders Eye Emerging Markets

Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania Limited has won the 2012 Environmental Award organised by Ilala Municipality at a ceremony held at Manzese grounds in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

The award recognises financial institutions which have greatly contributed into the improvement of environmental conservation and leading by example in the commemoration of the World Environment Day under the theme, ‘Green Economy: Does it include you?’

Speaking shortly before receiving the award on behalf of the bank, the bank’s Head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Alelio Lowasa said environment plays an integral part in human life and for that reason; her bank has given environmental conservation one of the top priorities.

“We, at the bank, acknowledge the importance of proper environmental management that is why we came up with a number of strategies to ensure that we conserve our environment, right from our offices in terms of cutting down the use of paper and we have gone further to advice our employees to be mindful of their environment,” she said.

Lowasa outlined initiatives that helped the bank to emerge victorious including, introduction of green initiative which aimed at reducing the use of paper in the bank’s operations.

“At the moment, our bank gives e-bank statements, instead of printing them on papers. We always advice our customers to join our mobile banking system which provides all banking services through their mobile phones. Furthermore, we have established a calling center where our customers are given information they may need concerning their accounts and our services,” she explained.

Speaking at the same function, SCB Head of Corporate Affairs Juanita Mramba underlined adherence to good environmental practices significantly to reduce the risks posed by ecological scarcities.

“Conservation of the environment should not be remembered only during commemorations of the World Environment Day. This should be a daily routine that corporate companies and individuals should adhere to,” said the bank official, adding:

Kinondoni district commissioner Jordan Rugimbana, who represented the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Said Meck Sadick as the guest of honour, said it was important for all staff of various government institutions, privet companies, and the general public to obey environmental regulations to ensure that the environment is taken care of.

Rugimbana added that the issue of environmental protection in the country faces various challenges, including lack of awareness amongst the people on the importance of environmental protection and also financial constrains many councils face. As a result, most local and town councils fail to buy adequate cleaning equipment.

I.C.T. conference focus on access to internet in Africa

CAPE TOWN (Xinhua) -- The Information and Communication Technology  (ICT) Indaba continued here on Wednesday, with a focus on promoting access to the internet in Africa , organizers said.

Participants stressed the need to tap the potential for internet services on the continent, where most of its population remain out of reach.

With a population of about one billion,  the continent made up 14 percent of the world’s population, but only 5.7 perent of Africans had access to the internet. Of the world’s internet users, only 3.6 percent are from Africa , according to figures provided by the conference which kicked off on Monday.

The International Telecoms Union’s ICT Development Index shows that no African country was placed in the top 50 countries out of the 154 on the list.

For Houlin Zhao, the deputy secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), this gap provides profound opportunities.

Africa was the most dynamic continent, with 57 percent mobile penetration, he said,  adding that the continent had the potential to overtake the Asia-Pacific region in access to mobile and broadband communication if it continued on its current trajectory.

He said the industry, government leaders and youths shared a strong commitment to seeing Africa grow.

An encouraging at the conference is that South Africa is spearheading efforts to change the status quo. One step would be to lookhttp://www.coastweek.com/3523_20.htm at ways that entrepreneurs can adopt green technology and consider ways to bring more rural areas online - especially because 55 percent of Africans live in rural areas,  the South African delegation said.

African countries must approve internet access for libraries, schools, health care centres and science centres, SA Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said at the conference.

Improved access to the internet and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help Africa to meet its social and economic goals, said Motlanthe.

“We believe that strategic investment in ICT will allow Africa to increasingly play a role in the development of new applications and technological innovations that are relevant for the needs of our continent and that this will ensure a continued multiplier effect on economic growth,” he said.

He said South Africa should consider best practice in smart cities and skilled workers that have helped to developed knowledge economies.

Seventy percent of employees in the developed world worked in the knowledge economy, Motlanthe said, adding that the biggest commodity in the world today was knowledge and the ability to generate access and distribute knowledge, which was key to developing any country.

He cited South Africa as an example, saying ICT had helped propel South Korea from a developing nation, which in 1960 had a GDP equal to that of Nigeria , Ghana and Cameroon , but within 30 years had grown to become one of the eight richest countries in the world.

Endorsed by the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the four-day ICT conference will identify the challenges and seek solutions to capitalise on the potential of the ICT sector so as to bring about long term-socio-economic development.

It will provide a platform for dialogue among the world’s ICT experts focusing on the developing and underdeveloped conditions.